Rattling Chains
by Dust in the Light-Crisi
Summary: An unexpected visitor drops in during L's funeral and Light suddenly has inherited another roommate: a sugar-craving-spectre-detective. But L's return presents a new sling of problems. Not the least of which is that Light can't stand L. Birthdayfic for L


The sky bled that day.

Bright orange and red streaked across the grounds of the forlorn cemetery, coating the faded green grass. It wasn't a busy day…no visitors coming to lay flowers at their loved one's marbled resting place. No processions mournfully making their way across the ground to lie yet another soul to rest.

The air was sharp and crisp, the way it only is after a big rainstorm. The city was still littered with debris from it in fact. Broken glass and bloody nights. There was an eerie stillness, only broken by the distant, somber call of a church bell.

Six dark silhouettes plodded slowly through the headstones, their eyes cast down mostly but their objective clear. Only five were the forms of humans; the last was a horrific creature only visible to a select few. Four of the humans were completely oblivious to his presence. The last was different in more ways than just his ability to see this creature. He was the only one of their small group who's eyes were secretly dancing with happiness.

They halted in front of a grave soundlessly. A burnished gold cross stood on a marble pedestal, loose earth at its foot. The grave spoke not a word for its owner's identity…just as in life, the man had not once spoken his full true name. It seemed somehow quite fitting, then, that he would not relinquish this secret, even in death.

The youngest, bronze-haired member of the group felt a smile twinging his lips at the sight. Light Yagami was, understandably, overjoyed. The greatest threat to his dominion lay before him somewhere beneath the churned earth in a wooden box. He would not be getting up this time; Light had won their eternal figurative tennis match at long last. But he kept his face stony as the rest of them. No sense in giving himself away after he finally had what he had longed for: victory.

The small party was silent for a moment longer, their faces grim and their arms respectfully at their sides. The eldest took a half a step forward, as if to address the missing member of their group who could hear him no more.

"Ryuuzaki…" His voice was deep and colored with more sorrow than Light had ever heard in its tone. "We've gathered here for your private funeral. The public has no idea you're gone. We're going to make it appear as if you are still alive. This is not over yet. We'll continue to work with police from around the world. I swear to you. We will catch Kira and arrest him. That's our promise to you. So you can rest in peace."

These words echoed across the courtyard as if they were casting a magic spell. If the task force had been listening close enough they might have heard a soft voice murmur, "_Not likely._" As it was, each man was too caught up in his own grief or thoughts to catch these words.

"That's right." Light said, his voice so venomous all eyes snapped to him. "We'll catch Kira and avenge Ryuuzaki. Solving this case will be our last gift to him…to Watari…to all of Kira's victims. And to all the people of the world." He clenched his fist, oblivious to the light trill of cynical laughter rising through the air as he did so. "I swear right here and now I will send Kira to his execution."

"_One can only hope_."

This time Light caught the voice, a small shiver of apprehension sliding icily through him like glass in his bloodstream. He felt a thick droplet of sweat running a river down his neck as his crimson-tinted eyes darted around the empty cemetery, searching for a familiar hunched-over form. The pervasive feeling he was being watched only deepened his unease, yet the only eyes he found on him was Ryuk's unblinking bulbous ones. He wrote it off as nerves and ignored the urge to look into it any further. Fortunately the others had each cast their eyes downward once more toward the grave.

They each in turn paid their respects in whatever way they felt was appropriate. Mogi dug his hand around in his pocket, pulling out a very lush strawberry. The large man took a step forward and, with a deep bow, placed the strawberry on the platform gently. His lip jerks slightly, remembering L's rather silly gesture all those weeks ago. "_I'll give you this strawberry if you keep it a secret._" He'd keep the secret, he promised. He moved back in line with the others.

Aizawa's scanned the cross. "You were a pain in the ass, but you were also the best of us." Despite their context, his words were without malice. He stared for another long second then gave a short bow, little more than an incline of his head. He'd gone at ends with the detective often and both men had a strong will. The fact that Aizawa bowed at all was a near miracle.

Matsuda murmured a quiet prayer, his words next to indiscernible to the rest of the task force. His large brown eyes were glazed slightly with tears; out of the small task force, Matsuda was the most emotional. He bonded strongly with nearly everyone he met and his loyalty knew no bounds. Even as a child, he hadn't handled death well and a friend's death was no exception.

Upon the complication of Matsuda's prayer, silence fell once more on the party. Ryuk shifted behind Light, drawing the boy's gaze. Ryuk's eyes were distant…he seemed to be unusually distracted from the task force. Light tried to follow his line of sight, but he couldn't see anything in the seeming random direction Ryuk seemed to be staring so intently in.

The rest of the task force had turned, almost in unison. They were done here…it was time to make good on their promise to L and everyone else Kira killed. Light, however, didn't make any attempt to move. Light had unfinished business with Ryuuzaki. As his father passed, he cuffed Light's shoulder and offered him a sad smile. He knew his son had a complicated relationship with their fallen comrade and likely needed a moment alone.

Matsuda stopped a few paces away from where Light stood, motionless.

"Is Light coming?" The rest of the group stopped. Light gave no sign that he knew the rest of them were looking at him. His eyes remained fixed on the gravestone.

"Matsuda…" The chief shook his head lightly. For once, the young detective seemed to understand and followed along, feeling somewhat like a lost puppy trotting along behind the group. Light simply waited…feeling the breeze rise and fall across his face. He watched them leave from the corner of his eye, but even as they disappeared into the distance he still didn't move.

Beside him, Ryuk chuckled quietly…to some joke that only he seemed to understand. "Whadya know…So L is finally gone for good huh? Too bad…I guess that means there won't be anything interesting to look forward to anymore…" If Light had been looking at him, he might have noticed the deepening of Ryuk's smirk or the little humorless chortle that followed. But his eyes were still fixed down on his fallen rival's grave.

He squeaked softly…a sound that caught Ryuk's attention. Was he…crying? No…this was Light. He hadn't even batted an eye when he was told his own father had suffered a heart attack. If Ryuk had had eyebrows, they would have been brushing his hairline as he tried to figure out the strange human. Then he erupted into gales of crazed laughter, his head thrown back high into the heavens. Somehow, his eyes caught a blue light in the bloody red eye of the setting sun. Ryuk had never been afraid of any human and he still would never be, but even he had to admit Light was unnerving. He almost didn't qualify as a human even to the shinigami…more of a demon.

"Now everything that was in my way is gone. And everyone else still believes in me." His pupils were mere pricks of black in the center of his eyes, adding to the maddening gleam of his twisted smile. "It's only a matter of time before I get rid of the police." He fell onto all fours right on top of L's grave, gripping the soil hard with his palms. "What do you think of that L? This is my perfect victory! That's right! I WIN!" He shouted loudly, the smile on his face growing with every mocking word. He kicked at some of the dirt in the grave, further disrespecting his archenemy.

But it wasn't as satisfying as Light had thought it would be. Somehow his victory over L was tainted. It had been as he had always imagined…always dreamed. He'd gotten to see it all. The way his face twisted sharply in pain as he lost control of his body. The spoon in his hand slipping from his grasp. Watch him slide out of his chair, slowly tumbling down… and he saw the life slip from his eyes. The last sight L saw in this world was Light's best evil smirk and his tinged red eyes staring down into L's owlish ones. He'd wanted to tap dance as those obnoxious large eyes slid closed.

He'd already worked out the rest of his plan. The others would elect him to stand in for L. They would pretend that Ryuuzaki was still alive when in all actuality, he was gone. Light had fought so hard against L as Kira, but now he WAS L. He was law. He was justice. He'd won. He would run the police on a wild goose chase...create false leads while secretly continuing his work as Kira. Generally, he liked the task force. They were useful and good people. He would try to change their opinions…make them see that Kira was justice. But if he couldn't get them to see things his way, he'd dispose of them. Not even his father would be spared. His victory was complete and his spoils sweet.

He was here, getting a chance to pay his final, childish disrespects to the man who almost beat him. Yet somehow, screaming his dominance at a putrid corpse was not satisfying enough. No, it wasn't just unsatisfying. The silence seemed painfully mocking…even in death, L knew just what to say that would most irritate Light. The smile slipped from Light's face, replaced by a hateful glare.

"Did you say you no longer have anything interesting to look forward to, Ryuk? Well, I promise that won't be the case. From now on…" He rose slowly to his feet, eyes still locked on the tombstone. "I'm going to show you the creation of a new world."

Ryuk's eyes glowed with a lustful excitement at the horribly determined look in his counterpart's eyes. This would be interesting, he knew. He had been kidding when he had said it wouldn't.

"_Are you quite finished?_" A familiar voice drawled out airily. _No…it couldn't be_. Light's eyes went wide and he scanned the graveyard frantically. And lo! There he was. Standing in the shadow of one of the trees was a painfully familiar figure leaning lightly against the trunk. The sun bled onto his skin (or perhaps lack there of), staining his alabaster flesh deep crimson. Like he was bleeding still. He was just as Light remembered him…Black hair wildly spiked about his head (a perpetual bedhead) and eyes wide and unblinking. He'd always gotten the eerie impression those black eyes saw everything…at any rate, he always knew what Light was up to. Those damn eyes were enough to throw him off balance and his face contorted in absolute horror.

"Y-you!" He let out a strangled yell. L just stared at him bored-ly, rooted in place.

Light back-stepped, his feet fumbling across the grass and his mind reeling. He tripped over one of the tombstones and landed with a heavy thunk, his head striking against marble. A little blood trickled from his lip where he'd bit it. This was a dream...it had to be. His surroundings were surreal enough. But wait! He was bleeding. It hurt. Pain didn't exist in a dream. That means...it's real. But how could it be real? He saw L die. HE FUCKING SAW L DIE! Why wasn't he dead? Or was he? He seemed faded...more so somehow than normal. Did that mean he was dead? So if he's dead was Light dead as well? But no, he was in pain! He couldn't be dead...Why couldn't L just stay dead?

L didn't move…didn't speak…didn't breath. He was eerily still, so unlike the man in life. He wasn't entirely corpreal, Light noted. He could see the outline of the tree behind him _through_ him. He was dead then. Dead and clanking chains, Light noted as L at long last took a step forward. He paced forward, never once taking his eye off Light till he was mere feet away. Then he just watched him with those lifeless eyes of his for a long moment before his attention dissipated off of Light and onto the strawberry resting on his tombstone.

He tentatively reached a hand out to the succulent fruit, but his fingers ghosted right through it, incapable of grasping. He frowned in frustration. "_What I wouldn't give…_" his voice trailed off nostalgically. His empty eyes found the death god. "_You're the reaper aren't you? The one who likes apples…Ryuk, I believe Light called you?_"

Ryuk gave him a crocodile grin…not that he wasn't grinning to begin with. "Ku ku yeah, that's me. Pleasure to meet you at long last. I've been a fan of your work for quite some time…you made things interesting around here."

L inclined his head. "_I did? Well, I guess I can stick around to entertain you a bit longer in that case._"

"No!" Light interrupted. "This…can't be…I…you're dead."

L looked down at his hands. They were…not entirely solid. He could see the ground through them. He looked back at Light. "_Well, what do you know? I hadn't guessed_." His voice was laced with subtle hints of sarcasm peaking through the usual monotone. "_Light, for a genius rivaling even me, you are a little slow on the draw. If I were still living, you wouldn't be. I believe I have every shred of proof I would need now to convict you. I even know where you are keeping your death note_." He said matter-of-factly although his attentions seemed far more affixed on the strawberry.

"What is this then? Ryuk?" Light asked. He wasn't just imagining it…Ryuk could see L too. He'd _spoken_ with him for cripes sakes. Then the implications hit him like a ton of bricks. Did that mean…the others? He felt his heart skip a beat as he nervously looked around the yard again.

"_Light? What is it? You look...agitated...Ah, I see. You're wondering if the others can see me...worried I might spill your dirty little secret. You can relax. Alas, I wish they could see me, Light. Matsuda walked right through me without even missing a beat_." One of his thumbs twiddled with the bottom of his lip, an unmistakably L-like gesture. "_I would guess I can't move on just yet. Unfinished business, it would seem_."

"That makes no sense. You can't be here." Light declared furiously. He had no right to be here. Light had won. L had lost. It was over. He thought he was rid of L…what on earth was going on? Of course, it wasn't exactly the most ludicrous thing he'd ever seen. In the last year he'd discovered a notebook that kills people and magically links you to a god of death. Ghosts weren't exactly a big stretch. "Begone or something. Surly you have something better to do than this."

"Actually, he doesn't." Ryuk remarked, relishing the dumbfounded look on Light's face. Light was a difficult person to offset, so whenever he lost his composure, Ryuk couldn't contain his glee. It had always been entertaining to watch his meltdowns. Unfortunately, the only person that seemed to be able to get a real rise out of him was L and so when he died Ryuk was somewhat dismayed. Light's cold emotionless exterior would become the only mask in his arsenal. This was a welcome turn of events.

"What do you mean Ryuk? Do you have any idea what's going on here?" Light demanded, his voice rising several octaves. Still lacking its usual composure. Like he said, L made things amusing.

"I've only heard of this happening and have never seen it with my own eyes." Ryuk chortled slightly before continuing. "Sometimes when you humans have vowed something, that vow caries over even after your death. You're literally chained to this earth until your vow has been complete. Or in L's case, ku ku, he's chained to you."

"What?" Light's voice cracked comically. Oh, so very entertaining it was.

Ryuk bent over and picked up a thin silver, semi-transparent chain. One end was affixed to L's right hand; the other dangling from Light's wrist. Light caught sight of it and gaped. He obviously hadn't even noticed it until now...of course, it only recently took form. "I can see it plain as day. As can both of you, I'm guessing. You're stuck with him until the oath L made involving you has been completed."

Light groaned loudly while L just watched him absently. "_I'm honestly not any happier with this arrangement than you are. But as it would seem I must remain here as the shinigami says, we at least can be civil_."

Civil. Yeah. Right. Light would rather saw his own arm off. And he was seriously considering that alternative...but if he did, the chain would probably just latch itself to his other hand. Being chained to the detective once had been more than enough but this…this was ridiculous. He already had two somewhat unwelcome roommates and had no desire for a third. Especially not L. At least Misa and Ryuk had their uses. They cooperated to a certain extent with him. But L...L would just throw a wrench in everything…no, he'd throw the whole damn tool kit in all of Light's plans. He had to get rid of him as soon as possible. Which means he would have to see to it that L's vow was completed at the first opportunity.

"What vow did you make concerning me?" Light asked, one hand covering half of his face as he sighed exasperatedly. He was afraid he might just already know the answer...

"_Simple._" L grinned goofily. "_I vowed I would see you die._"

...Well, fuck.

* * *

><p><em><strong>There you have it. I've officially broken into the Death Note fandom. I've been writing for it like a mad woman but I had no intention of posting till I got my FF7 stories back on track.<strong>_

_**But I simply had to post something in honor of L's birthday and Halloween. And here it is. It's got L and it's got ghosts. The fact that they are rolled into one just make it sweeter (excuse the pun).**_

_**Basically it was an idea inspired by a comment I saw on the funeral scene in the compilation. Someone commented that L would have probably ordered cameras to be set up around his grave. So in gloating, Light would seal his fate. I took it a step further and wondered what L would think of the whole spectacle. Hell, what would he think of all of the events after his death?**_

_**Basically I wanted to remedy the problem with the second half of the second season: it lacked L. You don't settle for hamburger after you've tasted steak. I adore Mello and Near but I couldn't help but miss L and his quirky intellect. So this story was born.**_

_**Anyways, I may or may not post more based on the reaction. Either way, this is my Happy 32nd birthday to Manga L and 29th birthday to Anime L.**_

_**~Crisi**_


End file.
